Bocaccio photo courtesy of D. Gottshall

This weeks fish, if it were a boxer, would always be leading with it’s chin. Growing up to 3 feet in length, the bocaccio is instantly recognizable by it tremendously long lower jaw, extending past it’s eye socket into a distinctive bulb-shaped ending. While very popular with anglers and spearos, it’s also showing signs of being over fished,  being federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as a species of concern.  It’s interesting to note, that like other rockfish and unlike most bony fish, bocaccio give birth to live larval young. The more you know.

Judging by it’s expression, even this bocaccio is shocked by the length of it’s lower jaw. Photo courtesy of NOAA.
The namesake of the Bocaccio and inventor of the comma, Sebastian R. Bocaccio.